In the news articles

RoadPeace vigil for lorry crash victims

Caroline recently attended a RoadPeace vigil dedicated to all cyclists and pedestrians who have been killed by lorries on our streets. The event was held near to Moorgate, at the London Wall junction with Copthall Avenue. It is the location where RoadPace Chair Cynthia Barlow's daughter Alex was killed by a lorry in 2000.

It is now a year since RoadPeace launched their new campaign: See Me Save Me. The See Me Save Me campaign is dedicated to reducing lorry danger and saving lives, and calls for the elimination of the blind spot through the use of HGB safety technologies such as sensors and cameras.

Cycle hire isn't working for commuters

The Evening Standard has an article exploring the problems faced by commuters trying to use the cycle hire scheme, but finding there are no bikes available, or nowhere to dock them at the end of their journey. As the London Liberal Democrats have discovered, in May 2012 an astonishing 381 stations were entirely empty for more than an hour each day on average, and that 83 stations were empty for six hours or more each day — rendering them futile for long periods.

Cable car fares need an overhaul

Commenting on figures that showed the Thames cable car having its lowest ever usage in the week ending 15th December, Caroline Pidgeon commented:

"It is normal practice for a new transport link to experience a growing number of passengers as people find out about the route and start using it on a regular basis.

"The Thames cable car is totally bucking the trend with its passenger figures seeing a consistent downward trend.

Turn Bricklayers' Arms flyover into a park

The London SE1 website reports on Caroline Pidgeon's suggestion to the mayor to turn the Bricklayers' Arms flyover in Southwark into an elevated park like New York's High Line.

Boris Johnson has said that Transport for London have no plans to close the flyover to traffic, but has asked TfL to review ways of reducing the environmental impact of the flyover.

"Gearing Up" proposals are a big positive step for King's Cross

The King's Cross Environment blog has a report on the London Assembly Transport Committee's report "Gearing Up", and what its proposals could mean for cycling safety around King's Cross.

Blogger Sophie Talbot says:

On first reading it’s a report that appears not to pull its punches. Clear in its message that London needs to take action and fast. It’s timely too. Right now Transport for London is consulting on the changes it will propose to the road system in King’s Cross. This report certainly appears to summarise the vast majority of changes our community has wanted for many, many years and more. Importantly it includes a very clear and highly appropriate timetable against which the Mayor and TfL should report progress

Mile End plans offer little for cyclists

Proposed improvements to the Mile End Road and Burdett Road junction are totally inadequate and fail to provide any significant benefits for cyclists, claims Caroline Pidgeon AM, leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group and chair of the London Assembly’s transport committee.

Responding to Transport for London’s (TfL) consultation on the review of this junction, which is part of a wider exercise to review the safety of 100 junctions across London for cyclists, Caroline Pidgeon said:

“Quite frankly these proposals appear to be the weakest plans to have emerged from TfL’s junction review so far. The introduction of mandatory cycle lanes is welcome, but there is little else that will benefit cyclists. Indeed some of the changes will make the junction more intimidating and potentially even more dangerous."

Cable car needs to be a serious mode of transport

Speaking to the BBC about the extremely low passenger numbers on the Thames cable car, Caroline Pidgeon said:

"All we're seeing is a publicly funded tourist attraction rather than a serious mode of transport. What the Mayor now needs to do is to incorporate it in the Travelcard network, to make sure people are using it, rather than the handful that are today."

TfL's lack of ambition as superhighway stops short

Talking to the local 853 blog, Caroline Pidgeon criticised the lost opportunity to link Lewisham to central London with a cycle superhighway.

“Just one week after the Mayor and TfL were boasting about the new Victoria to Lewisham Superhighway we now discover that the plans have been seriously scaled back," said Caroline.

“The excuses for not linking the Superhighway to Lewisham show a total lack of ambition by Transport for London.

“This foolish decision suggests the Mayor of London is not really serious about introducing Dutch-style cycling infrastructure across London.”

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